In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a lesser number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘May Bright’.
The present variety was hybridized by me in 2003 as a first generation cross using an unnamed nectarine as the selected seed parent and an unnamed low chill nectarine as the selected pollen parent. However, this unnamed seed parent of the present variety was itself a first generation cross using ‘Early Diamond’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,438) nectarine as its seed parent and ‘May Fire’ (unpatented) nectarine as its pollen parent. The pollen parent of the present variety was developed by us as a seedling of an open pollinated low chill peach. The fruit of this cross was gathered in the spring of 2003, and the seeds were removed from the fruit, germinated using an embryo rescue technique, and grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2006 I selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed grandparent, ‘Early Diamond’ nectarine by producing nectarines that are mostly red in skin color, yellow in flesh color, clingstone in type, and mildly acidic in flavor, but is quite distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is much larger in size, that is firmer, that is significantly less susceptible to split-pitting, and that matures about seven days earlier.
The present variety is similar to its pollen grandparent, ‘May Fire’ nectarine by producing nectarines that are firm, mostly red in skin color, yellow in flesh color, and clingstone in type, but is quite distinguished therefrom by requiring less chilling hours and by producing fruit that is larger in size, much less acidic in flavor, and that matures about twelve days later.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Rose Bright’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,845) nectarine by producing nectarines that are firm in texture, medium to large in size for the early season, acidic in flavor type, and nearly full red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom by requiring less chilling hours and by producing fruit that is sweeter in flavor and that matures about ten days earlier.